Apparatus for facing leather or the like



July 3, 1951 H. A. BERNARD 2,553,811

APPARATUS F OR FACING LEATHER OR THE LIKE Filed July 20, 1949- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ama. 2W0

y 1951' H. A. BERNARD 2,553,311

APPARATUS FOR FACING LEATHER OR THE LIKE Patented July 3, 1951 APPARATUS F OR FACING LEATHER OR'THE LIKE Harold A. Bernard, Gloversville, N. Y., assignor to G. Levor & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation Application J lily 20, 1949, Serial No. 105,710

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for facing nonmetallic material, and more especially to apparatus for shaving leather.

Apparatus of this type, particularly those for shaving leather, usrally have a multi-bladed cutting wheel past which a sheet of leather, for instance, is drawn while it is held in uniform en gagement therewith. To attain a cut of maximum smoothness and uniformity on a sheet of leather the blades of the cutting wheel are customarily arranged in relatively narrow spirals about the wheel axis, and there is customarily provided a power-driven emery wheel which is reciprocated along the cutting wheel and sharpens the blades of th latter. However, sheets of leather shaved in these prior apparatus are, despite the above preventative provisions not entirely smooth and often show abrasion or cut marks which render them of no further use or require costly additional treatment in order to save them for further use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus of this type which shaves leather or the like with such uniformity as assuredly to omit any abrasion or out marks in the leather.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in apparatus of this type for axial reciprocation of the cutting wheel relative to a reciprocating emery wheel and to a leather sheet being shaved, thereby to attain greater and more uniform sharpness of the cutting edges of the blades of the cutting wheel by reason of the additional relative motion between the latter and the emery wheel, and abrasion-free shaving of the leather by reason of the erasure-like motion thereon of the spinning cutting wheel during its shaving performance.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of apparatus embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same apparatus; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral l designates apparatus which is constructed primarily for shaving leather, but which may also be used for planing or shaving other materials which are similar to leather. The apparatus l0 comprises a main frame l2 on which are mounted a cutting wheel M, a work support 6, a reciprocating carrier it for an emery wheel 20, a power drive 22 for the cutting wheel i l and carrier i8, and a reciprocator 24 for the cutting wheel I4. The main frame I 2 of the instant apparatus, which may be cast, provides spaced upright frame sections 26 and 28, respectively, on which are provided bearings 35? and 32, respectively, for the journal support of the cutting wheel M.

The cutting wheel M comprises, in this instance, a shaft-like core 34 in the periphery of which are suitably secured, as by brazing, a plurality of cutting blades 38 which are arranged spirally about the core 34 (Fig. 1). In conformity with conventional practice, and as shown in Fig. l, the cutting blades 2-35 of the wheel 54 are from a point midway of the latter arranged in oppositely spiraling formation so that they will have a tendency to spread an engaging leather sheet longitudinally of the cutting wheel hi and thereby prevent wrinkling of the leather sheet. The cutting wheel I4 is power-driven in a manner hereinafter described.

The work support it (Fig. 2) comprises a tablelike frame 4t] (Fig. 2) having a top 42 and spaced legs 44 which are pivoted on a shaft 66, suitably mounted with its ends in forward extensions 48 of the upright frame sections 26 and 28, respectively. The legs 4d of the work support 16 have downward extensions 56, respectively, that are spanned by a foot treadle (not shown) which, when stepped on, causes retraction of the work support 16 from the cutting wheel M into the position shown in Fig. 2. Rolls 5 and 56 are mounted on shafts 58 and 6%, respectively, which are suitably jovrnalled with their ends in the opposite legs 4 3, respectively, of the work support I6 in such proximity to the top 42 thereof that the rolls 54 and 56 hug the adjacent beveled sides of the latter and form curved extensions thereof. As usual in apparatus or" this type, the work support I6 is spring-urged against an adjustable stop (not shown) into an operating position in which the roll 56 is sufficiently spaced'from the periphery of the cutting wheel i l to admit a leather sheet into uniform engagement with the latter. It is further customary in apparatus, of this type to provide a foot-release latch (not shown) which will automatically lock the work support It in its operative position for a shaving performance of the cutting wheel M on a leather sheet as it is passed over the top d2 of the work support into th bite between the roll 56 and the spinning cutting wheel M. The roll 56 on the work support 3 I6 is, in apparatus of this type, and as further described hereinafter, driven in the direction of the arrow 69 in Fig. 2, in order to draw a leather sheet past the cutting wheel I4 while the latter performs its shaving operation thereon.

The carrier I8 comprises a slide 10 and a transport '72 having opposite side grooves (not shown) in which the slide 78 is guided for movement to and from the cutting wheel I4 by means of gibs II. The transport I2 is guided for sliding movement parallel to the cutting Wheel Mon a platform 14 of the main frame I2 by gibs It which are bolted or otherwise secured in place on the transport. The emery wheel 28 on the carrier I8 is in this wise movable with its periphery into and from grinding engagement with the blades 36 of the cutting wheel i l, and is also reciprocable parallel to the latter with its periphery in or out V of grinding engagement with the cutting wheel. Movement of the emery wheel 26 into and from grinding engagement with the cutting wheel I4 is accomplished by a gear 86 (Fig. 3) which is mounted on a rotary shaft 82 in the slide I8 and is in permanent mesh with a rack 8 on the transport I2. One end of the shaft t2 extends to the outside of the slide If! and is there provided with a hand wheel 85 with which to turn the gear 3H for any desired motion of the slide it on the transport 12. Interposed between one of the gibs ii of the slide 18 and the adjacent guide-groove in the transport I2 may be a wear strip (not shown) which may be forced withmore or less pressure against said guide groove by screws 8 3 (Fig. 2), thereby to adjust the static friction between the slide it and the transport I2 so as to prevent self-sliding of the former toward the cutting wheel It, yet permit its easy movement on the transport 72, when intended, by means of the hand wheel 86.

Reciprocation of the emery wheel 28 along the cutting wheel It is accomplished through cooperation between a threaded rotary spindle 88 in the main frame I2 of the apparatus and a threaded follower 9%} on the transport E2 (Fig. 3). The spindle 88 is conveniently journaled with its ends in the upright sections 26 and 28, respectively, of the main frame I2, and the follower 98 on the transport I2 projects through a slot 92 which extends in the platform IQ of the main frame I2 between the upright sections 28 and 28 of the latter. The spindle 88 is power driven and is periodically reversed, in a manner hereinafter described, in order to reciprocate the carrier I8 throughout the longitudinal extent of the cutting wheel Id. The emery wheel 28 is mounted on a shaft 98, which is suitably journalled in the slide I0 and provided with a pulley I88 that is drivingly connected with an electric motor I82 through a belt I84. The motor I52 may conveniently be mounted on a platform I88 on the carrier I8.

. The power drive 22 comprises a shaft I II) which is suitably journalled in the upright frame sections 26 and 28 of the main frame I2. The shaft I I8 may be power-driven from any suitable prime mover (not shown). For driving the cutting wheel I4, the latter carries at its opposite ends pulleys H2 and H 3, respectively, which through belts H6 and I I8, respectively, are drivingly connected with pulleys I28 and II2, respectively, on the power shaft I I0 (Fig. 1)

Firmly mounted on the spindle 88 near one end thereof are pulleys I24 and I25 between which is interposed a freely rotatable idler pulley I28. Passing over two adjacent ones of the pulleys I24, I26 and I28 on the spindle 88 are belts I38 and -5. blades will show no out or abrasive marks. The

4 I32, respectively, which also pass over a pulley I34 on the power shaft H8. One of the belts lift and I32 is non-twisted, while the other belt, I32 for instance, is twisted (Fig. 2). Cooperating with the belts E38 and I32 is a shifter fork I35 having prongs I38 which straddle the belts I38 and I32 (Figs. 1 and 2). The shifter fork I35 is suitably carried by an actuating bar I40 which is longitudinally slidably supported in the upright sections 26 and 28 of the main frame E2. The actuating bar I 88 is provided at spaced points thereof with stop lugs I42 and HM which cooperate with an arm M5 on the transport 12 in shifting the actuating bar I 38 into two end positions,

respectively, in which the belts I39, I32 are,

through intermediation of the shifter fork I35,

shifted onto the pulleys I28, I28 and I28, I2 i, respectively, on the spindle 88. Thus, assuming that the carrier I 3 moves to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 into the end position there shown, the arm Hi8 will, toward the end of such movement, engage the stop lug i 1 and shift the actuating bar I48 to the left so as to bring the belts I30 and I32 from the pulleys I28 and I26, respectively, onto the pulleys IN and I28, respectively, for reversing the drive of the spindle 88 and, hence, the direction of movement of the carrier I8. Toward the end of the reverse movement of the carrier I8, the arm I23 on the transport I2 will engage the other stop lug 52 5 on the actuating bar I40 and shift the latter to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby causing a shift of the belts I38 and I32 from the pulleys IN and I28, respectively, onto 1e pulleys 28 and E25, respectively, for another reversal of the drive of the spindle 88 and, hence, of the direction of movement of the carrier I8. The motion of the carrier I8 on the platform 74 of the main frame I2 is thus reversed every time the emery wheel 2&3 reaches the endmost blades 38 and 3% on the cutting wheel It.

The previously described roll 55 is driven from a pulley I 38 on the power shaft III] through intermediation of a belt I49, a freely rotatable pulley I58 on the shaft 48 (Fig. 2), and a suitable driving connection (not shown) between the pulley I58 and the roll 56.

In accordance with the present invention, the cutting wheel M is in its journal bearings 38 and 32 reciprocated through a relatively small distance at a fairly rapid rate in order to attain maximum sharpness and uniformity of the cutting edges of the blades 38 of the cutting wheel I4, and also to prevent or obliterate any abrasive marks in leather being shaved. To this end, one end of the cutting wheel It carries a clevis I52 whichis pivotally connected at I54 with one arm I56 of a bell crank lever I58, pivotally mounted at I5! on an arm I59 of the main frame I2. The other arm I68 of the bell crank lever I58 is connected by a link I62 with a strap I64 on an eccentric I66 on the slow shaft I68 of a reduction gearing I18, the fast shaft of which is that of an electric motor I14 which may conveniently be mounted at I16 on a platform I18 on the main frame I2. Thus, the cutting wheel I64 is reciprocated when the motor I'M operates, as will be readily understood.

By reason of the reciprocation of the cutting wheel It, the much slower reciprocating emery wheel 28 will grind on the peripheries of the cutting blades 36 feather edges which extend beyond the adjacent faces of the respective blades 36 and are exceptionally sharp and uniform, with the result that leather sheets shaved by these uniform texture of the shaved leather sheets, which bear not even the slightest indication of the shaving operation to which they were subjected, is further enhanced by the erasure-like motion of the blades 36 of the cutting wheel on the leather sheets while the latter are shaved by the cutting wheel.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention Within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In apparatus for shaving sheets of leather or the like, the combination of a rotary and axially reciprocatory wheel having on its periphery cutting blades extending obliquely to the wheel axis, a support on which a leather sheet is movable past said wheel in uniform cutting engagement with the blades thereof, a grinder reciprocable throughout the axial extent of said wheel in 6 engagement with the cutting blades thereof to sharpen the latter, means for driving said wheel, means for reciprocating said grinder, a driven eccentric, and a driving connection between said eccentric and wheel for continuously axially reciprocating the latter through a shorter distance and at a higher rate of speed than said grinder.

HAROLD A. BERNARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,034,783 Glasel Aug, 6, 1912 1,718,091 Traud June 18, 1929 1,842,366 Wayland Jan. 19, 1932 1,863,777 Wayland June 21, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 188,766 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1922 

